Stringed musical instrument.



No. 778,882. PATLNTBD JAN. a; 1905.

H. P. T. MLLER. STRINGBD MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED 00T,5.1803.

3 SHBETSBHEET 1.

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APPLICATION FILED 00T. 5- 1903 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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No. 778,882. PATLNTED JAN. 3, 1905. H. P. T. MLLER.

STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLIGATION FILED 00T. 5. 190s.

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UNITED STATES Patented January 3, 1905.

PATENT OEEICE.

HENRY FRIEDRICH THEODOR MLLER, OF HALEN SEE, NEAR BERLIN. GERMANY,ASSIGNGR TO ERNST MARTIN EDUARD MULLER, OF

HAMBURG, GERMANY.

STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 778,882, dated January3, 1905.

Application filed October 5,1903. Serial No. 175,850.

To LZZ whom, t Indy 0077/067170.

Be itA known that I, HENRY FRIEDRICH TIIEoDoR MLLER, a subject of theEmperor of Germany, residing at Auguste-Victoria strasse 3, 1 Halensee,near Berlin, Germany, have invented a certain new and useful Improvementin Stringed Musical Instruments, (for which I have applied for LettersPatent in Great Britain, No. 18,178, bearing date 22d of August, 1903,and in Germany, No. M. 28,691, V/lc, bearing date 20th of June, 1908,)of which the following' is a full and complete specification.

This invention relates to a stringed instrument operated by afriction-band, the said band being oi' a limited length and adapted tobe moved forward and backward in order to produce sound in the samemanner as by a violin-bow and to obtain all the modifications offiddling, quickest repetition of the same sound bowings, Sac.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate this invention, Figure 1is a view in plan of the instrument. Fig. 2 is a view in sectionalelevation on line a' Fig. 1. Figs. 8 and 4 are broken views, in sideelevation, partly in section, and end elevation, respectively, showingtwo different forms of the inclined diverting-pins. Fig. 5 is a view ofthe removable sound damping apparatus. Fig. 6 is a view illustrating themechanism for producing iiageolet tones. Fig. 7 is a view illustratingthe mechanism for inducing several strings to vibrate simultaneously inlageolet tones. Fig. 8 is a view illustrating the application of keys,and Fig. 9 is a view showing a special arrangement of suoli keys.

Throughout the views similar parts are I marked with like letters ofreference.

The instrument consists of a iiat soundingbox CZ, carrying the stringsf, which are iiXed at one side to hitch-pins b and at the `other side totuning or wrest pins c and cross the bridges CZ and e. Between thebridges Z and c is a bar ll, carrying diverting-pins g, which are soarranged as to cause the strings f to lie out of direct lines betweenthe pins Z and c, so that the strings by their own tension are stronglypressed against the pins g, and thereby become divided in two differentparts, the one lying between the pins g and the bridge e, which isdestined to produce the sound, and the other lying between the pins gand the bridge rZ, being that to be touched either by hand or by meansoi` keys.

Under the parts of the strings lying between the pins g and the bridge eand at a convenient distance from the said pins is the friction-band Z,which is led across a table e', carried bythe upper sound-board, and issupported by a suitably-arranged roller p. The ends of this band Z areconnected by a flexible vconnection Z, supported by a suitably-arrangedroller o. The friction-band Z acts like a violin-bow covered with resinand does not touch the strings unless the playerdepresses onev or moreof them by pressing down that part lying` between the pins g and thebridge eZ, which may be done either by hand or by means of keys.

The table c' is provided with a series of frets or uprights m, adaptedto carry the frictionband and enable it to sustain as much pressure ofthe strings as is necessary for putting them into vibration. Theconnection Z is attached to the friction-band Z by a ring-shaped handlen, which forms a convenient device for enabling the friction-band to bemoved to and fro.

An adjustable pulley or a similar arrangement may be provided to adjustthe tension or' the friction-band.

In order to produce sounds by making the strings vibrate, thering-handle a is seized by one hand of the player and the band isalternately moved to and fro in the free room between the roller 0 andthe edge of the frictiontable c' in the same manner as a violin-bow isoperated.

The roller 0 is mounted on the bearer 7)', carried by the box a, at sucha distance from the edge of said box as to make the length of thefriction-band between these two points equal to that of a iiddle-bow,and thereby enable it to give the sound the same duration as with such abow.

[n order to balance the sharpness or rise in tone of each string whichhappens when the tension of the string is increased by being pressedonto the table the diverting-mns g are arranged out of the vertical withthe plane of the strings. This may be done either as shown by Fig. 3, inwhich arrangement the pins are sloped in the direction of the run of thestrings, the result of which is to increase the effective length of thevibrating part of each string as it is depressed in proportion as itstension is increased owing to its depression, and thereby the differencein sound will be balanced. Another arrangement is to incline thepress-pins across the strings, as shown in Fig. t, the result ofwhich-is to allow the string while it is depressed to lie in a moredirect line between the pins and c, and thus compensate for the increaseof tension due to depression. 1n this construction the strings do notreadily return by themselves into their normal position, and I thereforeemploy springs (j to press them upward, as shown in Fig. 4L.

The parts of the strings lyingI between the pins g or their equivalentand the bridge c when they are not depressed lie iirmly against across-bar fr. This bar fr, which is pivoted on the sounding-box cbetween the bar /t and the bridge e and is placed parallel to thefriction-table t' at a suitable distance therefrom, is covered on itsunder side with any suitable sound-damping material. When the stringsare depressed either by hand or by keys, they are clear of thisdamper-bar and are therefore free to vibrate.

Sometimes it may be desirable to permit the strings to vibrate by theirown elasticity for a certain time after they are out of contact with thefriction-band. To this end the damper is arranged so that it is movable,being' provided with al holder or catch z5 to keep it in its normalposition to contact with the strings and also with a springs, adaptedwhen the catch is removed to lift the damper clear of the stringsagainst a suitable stop fr.

For producing flageolet tones with the vibrating strings l arrange (seeFig'. 6) beneath each string a finger o, which under the action of alightspringg/ bears against the string at that spot which shall notpartake of the vibra- Ytion, but remain quiescent, and does not vibrateunder the action of the friction-band. Normally this linger o will beretained in an inactive position, as shown in full lines on thedrawings, by the holder or stop w, either by the weight of the latter orby the friction on the stem thereof where it passes through its guide orbearing (notshown on the drawings) or in any other convenient manner. Onwithdrawing or lifting up the stop w into the position shown in dottedlines on the drawings the finger o, which is formed of any sufficientlyelastic material, engages the string with a light touch.

If desired, the different fingers may be united to a single bar, asshown in Fig. 7, so that several strings may be influenced at once.

The strings can be brought into contact with the friction-band either byhand or by using special keys. Then the latter are used, I prefer toshape them like buttons and arrange them as shown in Fig. 8. Vlhe keysare mounted in holes in a board or guide cl/ and rest on the strings f.

I sometimes arrange the button -keys, as shown in Fig. 9, so that theylie in two parallel rows, the keys for the tones C, D, E, F sharp,(ir-sharp, and A-sharp being placed in one row and the keys for thesounds C-sharp. VD-sharp, F, Gr, A, B being placed in the other row. Bythis arrangement there is the advantage that all scales and othersound-passages in the different scales can be executed by the same rule.For instance, for playing all major scales the lingering' is as follows:rlake lirst three following keys on one row, next four following keys inthe other row, and, linally, to produce the octave tone take the nextfollowing key in the Iirst row.

That l claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. ln a bowed stringed musical instrument a reciprocating friction-band,a friction-table over which the friction-band is reciprocated, means forreciprocating the said band, and a roller for guiding the saidfriction-band carried beyond the edge of the friction-table so that thespace available for the travel of the friction-band is equal,orapproximately equal, to the length of a violin-bow, as set forth.

2. In a bowed stringed musical instrument a reciprocating friction-band,a connecting medium attached to the free ends of said band, afriction-table over which the friction-band is reciprocated, means forreciprocating the said band and rollers for guiding the saidfriction-band one of which is carried beyond the edge of saidfriction-table so that the space available for the travel of thefriction-band is equal or approximately equal to the length of aviolin-bow, as set forth.

3. In a bowed stringed musical instrument a reciprocating friction-band,a friction-table over which the friction-band is reciprocated, means forreciprocating the said band, a roller for guiding the said friction-bandcarried beyond the edge of the friction-table so that the spaceavailable for the travel of the frictionband is equal or approximatelyequal to the length of a violin-bow, and means for keeping the effectivepitch of the strings of said instrument unaltered when depressed, as setforth.

4. In a bowed stringed musical instrument, a reciprocatingfriction-band, a friction-table over which the friction-band isreciprocated, means for reciprocating the said band, aroller forguiding' the said friction-band carried beyond the edge of thefriction-table so that the space available for the travel of thefriction- IOO I'IO

band is equal or approximately equal to the length of a violin-bow,means for keeping the effective pitch of the strings of said instrumentunaltered when depressed, and means for producing iiageolet sounds onthe strings of said instrument, as set forth.

5. In a bowed stringed musical instrument, a reciprocatingfriction-band, a friction-table over which the friction-band isreciprocated, means for reciprocating the said band, aroller for guidingthe said friction-band carried beyond the edge of the friction-table sothat the space available for the 'travel of the frictionband is equal orapproximately equal to the length of aviolin-bow, means for keeping theeffective pitch of the strings of said instrument unaltered .whendepressed and keys for depressing the said strings into contact with thefriction-band, substantially as set forth.

6. In a bowed stringed musical instrument, a reciprocatingfriction-band, a friction-table over which the friction-band isreciprocated, means for reciprocating the said band, a roller forguiding the said friction-band and carried beyond the edge ofthefriction-table so that the space available for the travel of thefriction-band is equal or approximately equal to the length of aviolin-bow,` means for keeping the effective pitch of the strings ofsaid instrument unaltered when depressed and two rows of keys fordepressing said strings into contact with the friction-band, the one rowcontaining the keys for the sounds C, D, E, F sharp, G-sharp andA-sharp, and the other row the keys for the sounds C-sharp, D-sharp, F,G, A and B, as set forth.'

7. In a bowed stringed musical instrument, a reciprocatingfriction-band, a connecting' medium attached to the free ends of saidband, a friction-table over which the friction-band is reciprocated,means for reciprocating the said band, rollers for guiding the saidband, one of which is carried beyondthe edge-of said friction-table sothat the space available for the travel of the friction-band is equal orapproximately equal to the length of a violinbow, means for keeping theeffective length of the strings of said instrument unaltered whendepressed, a movable damper adapted to be brought into contact with saidstrings, spring-controlled lingers adapted to engage the said strings inorder to produce fiageolet tones, means for holding the saidspring-controlled fingers. out of engagement with said strings, and tworows of keys for depressing said strings into contact with thefrictionband, the one row containing the keys for the sounds C, D, E, Fsharp, G-shar p, and A-sharp, and the other row the keys for the soundsC- sharp, D-sharp, F, Gr, A, and B, as set forth.

HENRY FRIEDRICH THEODOR MLLER. Witnesses:

HUGO THIEME, MARTHA KASTEN.

